Creating a realistic dining table in Unreal Engine 5 using Substance Suite

Project Introduction
This project primarily utilizes Substance 3D Designer and Substance 3D Painter to create non-organic materials, culminating in the development of a small realistic scene in Unreal Engine 5. To showcase a diverse range of material effects, the final references consist of multiple images, highlighting extensive details, texture styles, and lighting moods. Consequently, the main challenge of this project lies in accurately capturing the detailed characteristics of each material.

Final Screenshots

Vision 01
Vision 02
Video

Technique Breakdown

References Analysis
This project required at least six non-organic materials in total. For personal interest, I decided to create a complete small realistic scene with a feathered Damascus knife as the core element. I particularly like watching the show Forged in Fire and was impressed by the unique texture of Damascus steel. This material has a beautiful and complex feather-like texture that is formed by a special forging process. To better show the diversity of the materials, I also added different items such as dishes, cutting boards, and tablecloths to further enrich the visual effects of the scene.
Of all the non-organic materials, the biggest challenge in creating the tablecloth material using Substance 3D Designer was to use blue denim as the base color, with a beautiful sunflower embroidery pattern, and also to show the natural and slightly undulating texture of the fabric. To do this, I created the denim base texture and embroidery pattern separately, and combined them through reasonable layer settings and blending modes. The three-dimensional effect of the embroidery part, the texture of the embroidery thread, and the wrinkles of the fabric were also carefully adjusted to make the whole more realistic.
Another material that deserves special mention is the feathered Damascus knife. The texture of the blade cross section contains rich and fine layered details, and different metal layers overlap each other, presenting a smooth and visually impactful texture effect. In order to accurately restore this special texture, I studied the actual pictures of feather-patterned Damascus steel in depth, and finally obtained a realistic material effect through multi-layer texture superposition and meticulous mask adjustment.
Model Preparation
After confirming the references I wanted to use, I obtained the required high-poly models from Sketchfab and imported them into Unreal Engine for lighting setup and HDRI environment preparation.
Making the new version material in Substance 3D Designer
I created all the base materials in Substance Designer, setting them up for efficient adjustments and application in Substance Painter. Afterwards, I imported these foundational materials into Substance Painter, refining their details directly on specific models, including adjustments to color and texture, to better achieve the final visual effect.
Making the Feathered Damascus material in Substance 3D Designer

  • Step 1: Create the Base Concentric Circle Pattern

    Use the Cartesian To Polar Grayscale node to generate a set of concentric circles with varying intervals, establishing the foundational texture.

  • Step 2: Shape into Feather Form

    Apply the Transform 2D node to stretch these concentric circles into thin, elongated stripes, positioning them in the upper-right corner of the canvas to prepare for further deformation. Use a Warp node combined with Perlin Noise to add natural, randomized distortion to the stripes, enhancing their organic appearance. Utilize the Directional Warp node to further deform the distorted stripes directionally, shaping them into a curved, feather-like form.

  • Step 3: Get the final material

    Again, apply a Warp node in combination with Perlin Noise for additional detailed distortion. Use the same noise map to fine-tune the spacing between patterns, ensuring evenly distributed and natural intervals. Employ a Tile Sampler node to duplicate and tile the refined feather texture into a continuous row pattern. Combine the tiled feather textures with a Blend node to form half of the feather-pattern Damascus material. Finally, mirror this result to achieve the complete, symmetrical feather-patterned Damascus material.
Making the Tablecloth material in Substance 3D Designer

  • Step 1: Create Two Styles of Fine Lines

    Start by creating two distinct line styles:Single-line styleDouble-line (twisted or braided) style

  • Step 2: Outline Sunflower and Leaf Patterns

    Using the Point List and Spline (Poly Quadratic) nodes, outline the individual sections of the sunflower petals and leaves, carefully defining each detailed curve.

  • Step 3: Combine the Patterns into a Sunflower Motif

    Merge these individually outlined petal and leaf patterns into one cohesive sunflower pattern.

  • Step 4: Create a Denim-Style Background

    Craft a denim-style texture as the background, providing a visually appealing and textured base layer.

  • Step 5: Blend All Elements into the Final Material

    Finally, combine the sunflower motif and denim background into a unified texture, resulting in the completed tablecloth material.
Making the the old version material in Substance 3D Painter
I refined the materials in Substance 3D Painter by creating multiple layers with various smart masks to build the textures for version 2, achieving more detailed and realistic results. When creating an old knife material, I drag a base metal material, such as Steel or Iron, onto the layers panel, then add a new fill layer with a rust material. Next, I apply a black mask to this rust layer and use an appropriate Smart Mask, like Edge Rust, adjusting parameters such as Curvature and Ambient Occlusion to achieve a realistic rust distribution. Finally, I export the resulting textures in my chosen resolution and format for use in external software or game engines. When creating the old version of my tablecloth material, I add a new fill layer and select a color or material suitable for stains, then apply a black mask to precisely control the placement and intensity of the stains; next, I apply an appropriate Smart Mask (such as Dirt Splash or Stain) to quickly generate realistic stain effects, and finally, I manually refine these stains using the brush tool for a more natural and convincing appearance.
Bringing them to Unreal Engine
After completing all material creation, it was time to integrate them into Unreal Engine to assemble the final scene. I began by analyzing the environmental lighting requirements, opting for an HDRI sphere, Skylight, and a Post Process Volume to achieve realistic lighting conditions. Since the scene was intended to depict an everyday setting near realism, my lighting setup featured warm tones and gentle illumination. The HDRI provided a realistic ambient base, while carefully tuned Skylight intensity and Post Process adjustments ensured materials seamlessly blended into the environment. This combination effectively enhanced the authenticity and visual appeal of the overall scene.
For me, this was an efficient project—not only did it deepen my skills in creating complex non-organic materials using Substance Designer and Substance Painter, but more importantly, integrating these materials into a realistic Unreal Engine scene greatly expanded my expertise. Throughout this process, I comprehensively understood material creation, lighting setup, and rendering techniques. Despite the challenges, this experience significantly enhanced my overall workflow and provided valuable insights into the entire pipeline of material creation and scene integration.
Credit
Knife Kitchen：https://fab.com/s/515961aea143 Cutting Board：https://fab.com/s/5d0fef3d8a63 Table and Tablecloth：https://fab.com/s/c390f67eed7b Bowl and Plate：https://fab.com/s/e59183309749 Sugar Bowl: https://fab.com/s/38dcf6515cf1